Friends Forever
by DeathlyFlames
Summary: Ash and his friends have grown up. Pikachu, like all things must, has met his end and Ash must learn to cope. Oneshot


Author's Note: This story was spawned by the idea of a ghost pokemon. In Pokemon Tower when, say a Growlith, dies, you find pokemon like Ghastly. Therefore, any pokemon evloves into a ghastly. If something is inaccurate, like Togepi being a Togetic or something, I don't care. The story line and characters have as much knowledge as I do about the 3rd and 4th and 600th generation as I do. It basically leaves off at the end of the first generation. So don't worry too much about show details. Enjoy!

~DeathlyFlames

Friends Forever

Ash wiped tears from his eyes as he watched Pikachu being lowered into the grave. His lifelong friend and traveling companion, gone. Just gone. Misty put a hand on Ash's shoulder. She knew what he felt. The pain was shared between Misty, Ash, and Brock alike. Pikachu had been the best friend any young child could ask for. Brock pulled Misty and Ash close and they hugged, trying to smother the deep pain they felt. For them, especially Ash, losing Pikachu was like losing a member of the family. Brock let them go and Ash smiled at them both. He could always count on his friends.

Misty watched as her precious Togepi waddled up to the hole that held his friend and didn't make a sound. Misty picked up Togepi and hugged him, reaching her hand out for Gary as she did. Once their sworn enemy in the battle for the Pokemon League, Gary and Misty had developed a strong bond once she went home to her gym. Once friends, Gary and Misty had recently gotten married. Brock, however, was happily dating Traci, the photgrapher.

Everyone cried and said their final words to Pikachu. And after he was just a headstone, Ash stayed and cried on his grave. He just couldn't accept he wouldn't see pikachu every morning, or chase him when the electric mouse stole his precious hat. He would miss everything, even when Pikachu ate ketchup and made a mess...

It took a couple hours, but eventually Brock and Misty managed to convince him that he needed to go home and get some sleep. Misty insisted that she and Brock stay with him for a couple days to make sure he was coping well. After his friends got him home and into bed, they said goodbye to their significant others. This was something they had to do alone, no outside distractions for a few days.

It took him a while, but eventually sleep overtook Ash and he drifted off. His dreams plagued him. Vivid images of Pikachu playing, or squeaking, or having fun with his owner only left Ash sobbing when they ended. Right before he woke up, Ash could have sworn he heard his best friend in the room with him, but when he woke up, he was gone.

Misty cleaned Ash's house, and Brock cooked, but Ash didn't leave his bed for days. He didn't even speak back when they tried to talk to him and comfort him. Each night he was plagued by Pikachu and each morning he almost felt like they were together again.

He continued for four days before he actually said a word to them. One morning, he awoke from his teasing nightmares and walked into the kitchen where Brock was making breakfast and Misty was keeping him company.

"I'm going to visit him." he said simply. Stunned that he was even walking, the two just nodded.

Ash walked the ten miles to Lavender Town where the Pokemon Tower resided. He didn't mind, the walk was pleasant. When arrived he was more at peace with himself. But he decided that to move on he would have to visit his friend every week. He needed the closure. He walked up the stairs to the top floor, where they had buried his friend. He sat next to his grave and talked to him. He talked about how he missed him and how he dreamed about him.

Eventually Ash felt as if he weren't alone. Turning around, he saw a Ghastly floating right behind him. It was a strange thing for a Ghastly to do so Ash ignored it and turned around. The Ghastly shouted with glee and ran full-on into Ash's back, stunning the trainer as the pokemon zoomed back and forth through his body. It was like they were best friends. But the last time Ash had checked, he didn't own a Ghastly. He briefly considered that maybe it was the Ghastly that he had befriended outside of Saffron, when he was going to battle Sabrina. But Saffron was far enough away Ash didn't think that could really be it. Besides. All three of those ghosts stayed in that abandoned house with their toys. The more likely option was that this was an oddly friendly ghastly. Ash smiled at it and got up to go home.

On the walk home, however, Ash felt like he was being watched again.

"Hello?" he called. He stopped short and fell backwards when that Ghastly appeared in front of him.

"Hi again. You can follow me home if you'd like, I guess." Ash stood up and brushed himself off before continuing his walk, and enjoying the outdoors.

**88**88*

"That is very strange." Misty decided, "Wild pokemon don't normally follow people unless they want something. Did you give him something?" Ash shook his head.

"When I got to Pokemon Tower, he started watching me, and then he just followed me home."

"Dinner's ready!" Brock announced as he put the burgers on the table. He set ketchup and mustard on the table as well and the Ghastly started floating up, down, and in circles with glee. He grabbed the ketchup and tried to eat it, only to be disappointed when the bottle fell through him and smashed on the floor. He gave Ash a sad look.

"It's alright, Ghastly. It's just ketchup." Ghastly gave Ash a happy look again and floated over to his head, where he sat for the rest of dinner.

When Ash went to bed, Ghastly slept next to him. Ash dreamed of Pikachu again, but this time, when he woke up he wasn't as sad. He went downstairs for breakfast and Ghastly followed on his head, happily. When he was sitting down to eat, Ghastly took Ash's hat and took it across the room for a moment until it finally fell through him. Ash laughed and grabbed it before sitting down to eat again.

"Don't you think it's strange how he acts like him?" Brock asked. Ash stared at Ghastly for a moment before muttering a 'yeah.'

**88**88*

That night, before Ash went to bed, he hugged Ghastly as well as one can hug a ghost. Ghastly gave Ash a sad smile and Ash understood.

"Goodbye, Pikachu." Ghastly, and the dreams, never came back.


End file.
